Biography
Colleen Bridger, MPH, PhD.
Assistant City Manager (interim)
Career
Colleen Bridger, MPH, PhD. was appointed Interim Assistant City Manager on March 1, 2019. She has oversight of the Metropolitan Health District, Parks and Recreation, Office of Equity and Department of Human Services. Previously, she was named director of the San
Antonio Metropolitan Health District in March 2017. Dr. Bridger is responsible for
implementing policies aimed at improving the health of the population in San Antonio and Bexar
County and managing nearly two dozen programs, including WIC, vector control, air quality, STD/HIV
prevention and Tuberculosis control and prevention. She has oversight of a $44,000,000 budget and a
staff of nearly 400 public health professionals.
Prior to joining Metro Health, Dr. Bridger was director of the Stokes County (1997-2002), Gaston
County (2002 – 2010) and Orange County (2011 – 2017) Health Departments in North Carolina. As
Health Director, she tackled tough issues like poverty, transportation and access to care and
exceeded community goals for
reductions in teen pregnancy and infant mortality rates. Under her leadership, the Health
Departments won numerous awards including multiple Ralph Ketner awards for Innovation in
Government, and multiple GlaxoSmithKline Child Health Recognition awards.
Prior to becoming a local health director she worked as a social worker for Spanish-only speaking
pregnant women and as a health systems researcher for the state of North Carolina and international
development organizations.
A nationally recognized speaker, trainer and innovations
expert, Dr. Bridger has over 20 years of experience in
community development and improvement.
Education
- Bachelor of International Development, School for International Training in Vermont
- Master of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Ph.D. in Health Services Research, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Professional Memberships and Community Involvement
- Former President of the North Carolina Health Directors Association
- Adjunct Faculty, Gillings Global School of Public Health, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Personal
Dr. Bridger was raised on a farm in Michigan. She and her husband, Chuck, have two children, Sarah and Charlie.
Departments